Hotel California
by Jashire
Summary: After enduring a fierce sandstorm, the Teen Titans find themselves at a beautiful place called the Hotel California.  But underneath all the charm and splendor is something dark...and deadly.  Based on the song "Hotel California" by The Eagles.
1. Lost in the Desert

**I****'****m ****back****! ****And ****with ****a ****brand ****new ****story****…****hehe****. (****Yeah****, ****I ****know****, ****I ****really ****need ****to ****learn ****to ****finish ****what ****I ****start ****first ****XD****) ****So ****this ****is ****inspired ****by ****one ****of ****my ****favorite ****songs****, "****Hotel ****California****", ****by ****The ****Eagles. ****It****'****s ****a ****supernatural****/****mystery ****this ****time****…****just ****kinda ****wanted ****to ****try ****something ****outside ****of ****the ****romance****/****drama ****genre****, ****see ****how ****it ****goes**** (****let****'****s ****hope ****not ****badly****). ****I ****know ****what ****the ****song ****is ****really ****about****, ****but ****I ****just ****wanted ****to ****try ****and ****take ****the ****lyrics ****literally****, ****as ****if ****it ****really ****is ****a ****story ****about ****a ****place ****called ****the ****Hotel ****California****…****should ****be ****fun :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here except the weird plot I'm gonna try to make up as I go XD **

_On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair  
>Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air<br>Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light  
>My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim<br>I had to stop for the night_

-**The ****Eagles****, **_**Hotel **__**California**_

The harsh sun glared down on the barren, Mexican desert landscape. Patches of dry brush were all over, pointy cactuses here and there. A coyote slowly crept out from its hiding place, several feet away from an unaware desert hare. Bit by bit, the predator inched closer to its prey. Just as it was about to pounce, a noise in the distance stopped it. The hare, ears twitching, quickly leapt away. Growling at having lost its easy meal, the coyote turned its head at the distraction. Eyes wide, it yelped and jumped out of the way just in time, as a black and green car sped through, chased by a white and blue car and a red and black motorcycle. The cloud of dirt and sand slowly disappeared as the animal blinked in surprise, before shaking its head and pacing away.

"Yeah, Gizmo, you better run!" Cyborg gripped the wheel of the T-car, sharply steering left to avoid a pile of boulders, before turning back. Beast Boy, sitting in the passenger seat, looked as if he was ready to puke, turning a sick shade of bright green.

"Dude, _please_ warn me before you decide to do that again…" His hands grabbed onto the side of the car door for dear life as they ran over a rough patch of ground, speeding forward even faster.

"I do not understand why this "HIVE Five" insist to continue with their thievery and trouble-making," Starfire asked as she flew above with Raven. "Surely they would have stopped after they lost their leader?"

"Well, they're not exactly the brightest bunch," said the sorceress beside her. "After Jinx left, the only thing they could probably think of doing was what they're good at: being pests."

"Whatever the reason," Robin's serious voice sounded out over their communicators. "We're going to bring them down." The R-cycle roared ahead. Robin threw several smoke bombs, blowing up and blocking the villains way. With a push of button, fan blades emerged from the front of the car, and in a few seconds, the smoke had been blown away. Snickering, the "evil boy genius" tapped a few more buttons, and a huge claw shot out of the left side, grabbing the boy wonder, slowly crushing him.

"Looks like we caught a little bird," Mammoth smirked.

Raven's hands glowed, and the claw, surrounded by black energy, was broken in two. Robin landed back on his bike, steering away as Starfire blasted the rear of the vehicle with starbolts.

"Crud!" Gizmo glanced at his rear view mirror. "Stop her before she blows out the back!"

Kid Wykkyd nodded as he teleported himself and See-More out of the back seat and behind the two girls. Starfire's eyes glowed green as she prepared to use her eyebeams, but before she could shoot, See-More launched a huge eye, hitting her in the back.

"Ugh!" She was knocked to the side, flying for several yards.

Raven turned on him, uttering her magical chant. "Aza-"

She was cut short as Kid Wykkyd phased before her, delivering a strong right punch that sent her falling towards the ground.

Cyborg scowled. "BB-"

"On it!" He rolled down the window, zipping out as a hummingbird and then morphing into a pterodactyl. He soared up, grabbing See-More with his talons and throwing him at Kid Wykkyd. See-More's shouts could be heard as they flew, landing in a heap hundreds of feet away.

Changing into a hawk, he began to fly back towards the T-car. "AAH!" He screamed as a missile hit him, returning to his human form. Gizmo began to aim another, but missed, having to swerve left and right to avoid the twin blasters that rose up from the sides of the T-car's hood. Beast Boy fell through the open sunroof and landed with a thud in the back seat. He clutched his head, vision spinning.

"You okay?" Cyborg asked, the energy blasts successfully taking out the missile launcher.

"Ughhh…yeah, I'm okay…"

Cyborg hit a red button in the middle of the T-car console. The smaller blasters tucked away, and in their place, a huge sonic cannon, similar to his own, rose out of the middle of the hood. He aimed and, locking onto the target, fired a huge blue blast. It shattered the glass and left a gaping hole in the rear window and windshield, knocking out Mammoth in the process, who'd been too slow to duck in time.

"Booyah!" Cyborg grinned. "Three down, two to go!"

"More like fifty!" Billy Numerous leapt out the back through the hole, multiplying in the blink of an eye to form a human wall around the T-car. It screeched to a halt, tires smoking.

All the Billies smirked as they continued to divide, until the ring was four rows thick.

"Ooh," he said with his thick Southern accent. "That sure is a nice ride ya got there…mind if we _steal_it?" They laughed as they ran forward, climbing onto the T-car from all angles.

"What the—Hey, get off!" Cyborg exclaimed as two reached the roof, trying to pry open the sunroof.

"Who-oaa!" One Billy slipped, hitting the back as he fell to the ground, leaving a dent.

His eyes widened. "YO! You're gonna pay for that, you little-!"

Several Billies cackled as they jumped up and down on the T-car.

"Duuude," Beast Boy sat up, trying to hold on as the automobile bounced. His face began to look queasy, turning bright green once again. "If they don't quit it, I think I'm gonna be sick all over the seat."

"Oh _no_ you don't! Get any of your nasty puke on my baby and I swear I'll throw you out of this car!"

Counting to three, the Billies jumped together in the air, smashing into the car. It violently jerked forward, and Beast Boys eyes widened. "Oh man-"

Cyborg's jaw dropped, horrified at the sight before him. His stomach churned. "Argh…now _I__'__m _gonna be sick…"

"Yow!" hollered Billy as he fell back off the T-car, hit with a blast of green energy.

"What's wrong Billy—Oww!" Another yelled as he too was fried.

The others spun around, faces dropping. "Uh oh." A huge column of green surrounded by black crackling power hit them, sending all the Billies flying.

Cyborg gave the girls a thumbs up as he got his "baby" to start again.

Meanwhile, Robin sped after the HIVE five getaway car. A gun rose from the back and shot out a net, but the Teen Titans leader flipped in the air as it missed him, enwrapping a cactus instead. He landed back on the R-cycle, continuing the chase. Up ahead, a huge rock outcrop loomed, looking almost like a small mountain. Gizmo swerved right as the motorcycle went left, out of sight.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he went even faster, intending to leave Robin in the dust. Mammoth's eyes slowly opened as he shook his head.

"Geez, you're _finally _awake," Gizmo muttered. "We could've used your help back there, you dimwit!"

"Where'd the others go?"

"Got their butts kicked by the other stinkin' Titans. But I think we lost them-"

Beep. Beep. "Huh?" Gizmo looked up towards the roof, where a red light was blinking, beeping even faster. Eyes wide, he yelled, "Get down!" The entire top exploded off, metal flying everywhere.

"Hah!" Robin landed a kick to Mammoth's jaw, leaping back and crouching on the trunk of the car. The behemoth growled, swinging his huge right fist at his head, but missed as Robin swiftly dodged it. Extending his bo staff, he jumped, coming down swinging.

"Hey—Ow! Ouch! OW! You little-!" Mammoth swore as Robin beat, struck, and whacked him again and again. Spinning his staff, he got ready for one final blow, but Mammoth lunged, grabbing his weapon in mid strike and swinging it hard to left, causing Robin to smack right into the back car door. He fell to the floor as the villain loomed over him, cracking both knuckles.

"Time to put you to sleep," he snarled, raising both fists.

"I intend to," Robin said, in a low whisper. As the giant's hands came down, the teen hero launched himself over him as the knock out gas pellets he dropped exploded. Mammoth drowsily stumbled forward, tripping and falling out of the car.

Gizmo's eyes narrowed as the shield on his helmet rose. As the car began to leave the rock outcrop behind, he threw back his own explosive device. Before it could go off, Robin jumped out, back flipping onto the boulders and landing on his motorcycle as it roared forward. He flipped the autopilot off as he revved the engine, zooming towards the car.

He pulled up right next to the driver's side window. "It's over, Gizmo. Pull over, now!"

"Why don't you make me, birdbrain!" he shouted back, ramming his automobile against the R-cycle. Metal screeched against metal, sparks flying.

Suddenly, Robin slammed on the brakes, kicking up dust as he stopped. Gizmo looked in his side view mirror confused, until he turned back forward and shrieked in surprise. He stopped the car just in time to avoid crashing into the T-car. Raven and Starfire landed to his left and right. He was trapped.

"Surrender, Gizmo! Do not force us to harm you!" Starfire's eyes glowed green.

"There's no where left for you to run, little runt," Cyborg aimed his sonic canon dead ahead.

Trying to quickly think of a plan, he noticed something in the corner of his vision. He smirked.

"Actually, tin man…" He put the car into reverse. "I should be saying that to you." Wheeling backwards, he got out of the way as Kid Wykkyd teleported above them, dropping See-More onto the hood of the T-car. Turning the dial on his helmet, he fired an eye shaped bubble that grew to envelope the entire vehicle. He flipped back onto the roof, and with another click of the dial, his eyeball became red, shooting laser beams at Starfire and Raven. The Tamaranian cried out as she was hit in the chest, crashing to the ground. The dark enchantress darted away in the nick of time. She levitated up, raising a hand as she telepathically picked up several large boulders, flinging them at the duo. They jumped out of the way, one of the rocks barely missing the T-car.

Kid Wykkyd disappeared once again as Raven went on the defense, putting up shield after shield to block each of See-More's attacks.

"I 'see' there's something you're missing!" he grinned.

Feeling a sudden presence behind her, she barely had time to gasp as Mammoth fell from a hole in the sky, body slamming her into the earth.

The R-cycle sped forward, but before he could reach the others, Billy Numerous leapt in the leader's way. He veered to the left, almost falling off the bike as Billy laughed. "Not so fast, Bubba," he said, waving a finger. He divided and divided, blocking Robin's way and steering him off course. Birdarang in hand, he threw it towards them. It cut through the air, all the Billies ducking except for the last one, who caught it.

"Say Billy," He mused.

"What's that, Billy?" asked another.

"This sure is a fancy looking toy. Kinda like a boomerang…wanna play catch?"

"Sure, Billy! Yeehaw!" He shouted as the Billies began throwing it back and forth to each other. Left, right, front, back, Robin had to duck and swerve to avoid being hit from every angle.

A huge boom resonated as Cyborg blew a hole in the barrier. Starfire stood, getting her bearings before helping to free them by destroying the rest of the bubble with starbolts. At the same time, Gizmo pulled up, letting See-More, Kid Wykkyd, and Mammoth climb in.

Having had enough, Robin threw an explosive disc, hitting the birdarang directly. The Billies stumbled back, fusing back together in the blink of an eye until only the original Numerous stood. Giving him a mock solute, Billy winked before jumping into the HIVE five car.

"Thanks for turnin' this into a convertible!" He called back as Gizmo stepped on the gas, speeding away.

Robin's eyes narrowed, as Starfire helped Raven get up and Cyborg drove the T-car out of its prison. His grip on the handlebars tightened as he revved the engine.

"Titans, go!" he shouted. The two vehicles continued their chase, the girls following in the skies above. A sudden breeze came over them from behind, blowing in the opposite direction they were heading. Thinking nothing of it, they flew on…until the winds became stronger, enough to begin making it hard for them to keep themselves steady. Starfire and Raven exchanged puzzled looks, soaring several feet lower.

On the ground, the boys began to notice something was up, too, as clouds of dirt and sand began to form, obscuring their vision.

"Friends, something is wrong," Starfire spoke into her communicator.

"I think it's a sandstorm," Cyborg replied, squinting his eyes to try to avoid hitting anything.

"Titans," Robin drove as carefully as he could. "Stay together. We don't know how long this could last for; might be hours or possibly days."

Beast Boy jolted in his seat. "Days? What are we suppose to do 'till its over?"

"We'll have to find somewhere safe to stop and-" Before Robin could finish his sentence, the winds suddenly picked up, stronger than ever before. They turned into gales that kicked up so much sand that it stung the girls' skin and struck the windows of the T-car. The winds howled, rushing over the landscape relentlessly. The girls were forced to land, unable to keep their footing as they fell. Cyborg and Beast Boy yelped as they collided into a mass of huge rocks. They jumped out of the car just in time as a giant cactus fell, crushing the automobile. Robin tried, but couldn't keep going, bringing the R-cycle to a halt. He was immediately blown over, hitting the ground. Endless amounts of sand whipped through the air as the five teens, all managing to hold on to something, shut their eyes, wondering how long they would have to hold out for. But then, after a few more minutes of torture, the winds suddenly began to let up. In a matter of seconds, the sandstorm had ceased. The sand steadily cleared until the sky and surroundings were visible once again.

The HIVE five sat tangled up in their car. After much cursing and shouting, they finally freed themselves, staggering out and looking around. Finding no one else, they looked at each other, confused.

"…Umm…Where'd they go?" See-More asked. The others could only shrug.

TT

One minute, their ears had been ringing with the howling wind. Now, there was nothing around them but an eerie silence. Beasty Boy gradually got back to his feet, Cyborg next to him, hitting the side of his head until a river of sand poured out of his ear. The changeling looked around, calling out, "Starfire! Raven!"

"Over here, friends!" Several yards away, they found the girls. Starfire kicked off her long purple boots, trying to shake out as much sand as she could, while Raven tried to fix her hair, poofed and sticking up at weird angles.

"I like your new hairdo, Raven," Beast Boy snickered while Cyborg tried to hold in his laugh. She sent them a death glare that shut the two up at once.

They turned as they heard Robin approach, shaken up as well but unharmed. "Is everyone okay?" he asked. The four nodded.

"That was…quite unpleasant." Starfire murmured as she pulled her boots back on and straightened her skirt.

"You could say that again," The green boy stuck his tongue out. "I think I got sand in my mouth, bleh!"

"Such events are common on Earth?"

"Not in this area," Cyborg frowned. "I mean, sandstorms happen in deserts all the time, but in this part of the world…not ones _that_strong. And even for a sandstorm…man, that was crazy, it was almost as strong as a tornado!"

"Cyborg's right," Robin mused. "Whatever that was, it wasn't…natural."

"I am just glad that none of us were seriously harmed." The alien princess smiled.

Raven's eyes scanned left and right. "So…what happened to the T-car?"

A sad, tragic look swept across Cyborg's face. "My…my baby!" As he began to cry, wailing in despair, Beast Boy explained. "Well, during the storm, it kinda got…a bit banged up-"

"A bit banged up? She was MASSACRED!" Raven rolled her eyes.

"And I couldn't hold on to the R-cycle without ending up with just a few scratches and bruises," Robin sighed, running a gloved hand through his dark hair.

"So, what shall we do now?" Starfire inquired as Raven's powers formed a huge dark fist that bonked Cyborg on the head, knocking some sense into him as he stopped sobbing and straightened up.

"Well, seeing as we're practically in the middle of nowhere, we're going to have to get some help." Their leader's gaze shifted, looking out into the distance. "Cyborg, do you think you can locate where exactly where are and how much further it is to the nearest town?"

He looked down at his cybernetic arm, trying to run several scans but came up unsuccessful. "I can't get my scans to run properly…there's some kind of weird interference blocking my signals."

Starfire flew up, shielding her eyes as she looked around. Coming back down, she shook her head. "And I was unable to locate any populated areas nearby."

"Then as much as I hate to say it," Robin took a few steps forward, then turned around, facing his team. "It looks like we're just going to have to walk until we find someone."

TT

Several hours later, the five teenagers had walked, trudged, and, in Beast Boy's case, had themselves dragged along, but still had found nothing. "Dude," the green boy panted. "I _swear_ this is the third time we've past that cactus."

"How can you tell, they all look the same," Raven muttered, pulling her hair back away from her face.

"Well, that one looks kinda funny…has a weird shaped bumb on the top."

"Like the one on your head when they dropped you as a baby?"

He gave her a look, then sighed. "Ugh…I'm too tired to even argue with you."

The sun began creeping lower towards the horizon; in about a half hour or so, it would disappear completely. Starfire shivered as it began to get cooler around them. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I am hoping that we locate shelter soon."

Robin nodded in agreement. "It'll be night soon…we need to find somewhere to stop before the temperature drops any lower. Maybe we can find a cave or something near the hillside..."

"Guys! I think I found something over here," Cyborg called, waving them over. The others gathered around as he knelt down, wiping away the dirt and sand that had collected over a sign.

"'Hotel California, straight ahead'…" Beast Boy read. They looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"Star, try scouting ahead to see if anything's there," Robin ordered. She nodded, flying away. After a few minutes, she came back, smiling. "There is! We are saved!" The others excitedly hurried along, except for Raven. She knelt down, running a slender finger along the letters etched in wood. A shiver ran up her spine as a small breeze blew across her neck.

Noticing she wasn't following, Robin stopped and turned. "Is something wrong?"

She looked up. "…No, it's…it's nothing." She stood, dusting off her cloak and then joined the others. He gave her an inquiring look, but she just shook her head.

The group trekked along until, in the distance, they could see the outline of a building, lights shining, like stars to them in their state of weariness. Starfire clapped her hands in joy as Cyborg let out another "booyah" and Beast Boy morphed into a dog, barking happily.

As they got closer, the lights became brighter, the sky streaking with shades of orange and red as the sun began to set. Now that they could see the building clearer, Raven bit her lip. She couldn't explain why, but the moment she had seen the name of this place, an uneasy feeling had come over her. Resurfaced feelings of dread…and danger. But Robin was right; they needed a place to stay, at least for the night. And in their current situation, no matter what she felt, they had no other choice.

**Yeah****, ****that ****wasn****'****t ****the ****best ****first ****chapter****…****but ****hopefully****, ****when ****things ****start ****getting ****spookier ****in ****the ****story****, ****it****'****ll ****be ****better**** :) ****I ****actually ****spent ****a ****lot ****of ****time ****trying ****to ****write ****this****…****mostly ****because ****I****'****ve ****never ****written ****a ****fight ****scene ****before****, ****haha****…****and ****since ****I****'****m ****from ****Hawaii****, ****I ****didn****'****t ****really ****know ****much ****about ****the ****desert****, ****so ****I ****spent ****a ****lot ****of ****time ****with ****my ****best ****friends****, ****Wikipedia ****and ****Google ****XD**

**So what did you guys think? Is it a story worth continuing? Let me know by reviewing! I need all the advice I can get!**


	2. On the Edge

**So, I've decided to keep going with this one! Yay! Thanks to beachgirl902 and "me" (nice name XD) for your reviews for chapter one! Glad to know that you're enjoying it so far and want to see the story continued :)**

**I haven't realized till now how hard writing in this genre is XD But I'll try my best! **

**Disclaimer: I'm not creative enough to think of any of these characters T.T**

_There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell  
>And I was thinking to myself,<br>"This could be heaven or this could be hell"  
>Then she lit up a candle, and she showed me the way<br>There were voices down the corridor  
>I thought I heard them say...<br>_**-The Eagles, _Hotel California _**

There it stood, a hundred yards away. A beautiful, Spanish-style hotel. Stucco walls, low barrel tiled roofs, arched windows…it was absolutely charming. And Raven wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave. As they got closer, her stomach twisted into tighter knots, head slightly aching. She couldn't remember why, exactly, but this place…and name. She had heard and seen it before. That much she knew. But where…? She wracked her brains, rummaging through her memories for the one she was looking for, but couldn't find. Why did this place put her so much on edge? And why were thousands of warning signs aggressively flashing in her mind, begging her to turn back, before it was too late?

"…Umm, is she looking at us?" Beast Boy's question stirred her out of her thoughts. Following her friends' gazes, she looked towards the vast arch at the entrance, near the front driveway. A tall woman stood, dark eyes watching them. She wore a silky white gown, stopping just a few inches above the ground. The long sleeves hung open around her thin, pale wrists, her black hair reaching all the way down to her waist. Her dress was slightly low cut, exposing the perfect hint of cleavage. Her high cheekbones, slender neck, straight nose, and long lashes made her look stunning yet sophisticated. As they approached, a warm smile graced her angelic face. The boys couldn't take their eyes off her; even Starfire stared at her admiringly. They stopped, just a few feet away from the steps that led up to where she stood.

The woman looked at each of them, her gaze shifting from face to face. The moment her eyes settled on Raven, the sorceress internally flinched…as if she'd stepped into a freezing ice bath. Her heart raced slightly as the woman turned away from her to face them all.

Smile still on her face, she spoke, her voice clear and refined, yet softened somewhat…almost soothing. "Welcome to the Hotel California. You all look…so weary. You must have journeyed very far…come," she turned, heading inside. The boys took a step forward, then stopped, hesitating.

"Is it okay?" Robin asked, uncertain. "I'm not exactly sure how we'll be able to pay you…"

She spun around, so gracefully, her hair and gown falling around her. She shook her head. "Do not worry about that for now, young man. As you will find, we are very…generous here. And I can tell how tired you and your friends are. Please, follow me…I am sure we have rooms available for all of you."

Completely enchanted, Beast Boy followed, without a second thought. Starfire, Cyborg, and, cautiously, Robin, went along. Raven stayed glued to the spot, weary eyes staring up at the arch, glancing at the sign beside her, the name carved into stone this time. She couldn't shake off the feeling that they were making a big mistake. But even if she did speak to the others, it would be meaningless; they had travelled for hours, nonstop, and weren't in the mood to listen to what was merely a hunch. She sighed in defeat, slowly walking in. They truly had nowhere else to go…this place would have to do, for now.

The moment she passed under the arch, she froze. This feeling…her heart began to race again as an ice cold chill ran through her body. 'W-what…?' Waiting a moment for it to pass, she massaged her temples, joining her friends in the lobby. Maybe…it was just the heat from the desert, combined with hunger, thirst, and exhaustion, that was playing with her mind. It was a rational explanation. And yet…she couldn't forget that mysterious woman. The moment their eyes met, Raven used her empathic powers to read her emotions. What she found had surprised her.

She could, in each person they had come across, whether good or evil, find something within them. In Starfire was the pure, shining light of joy and blind faith, coupled with boundless courage. In Robin, she found hard determination, undying loyalty, and an unquenchable thirst to prove himself. Even in Slade, their worst, most cruel enemy, could she discover feelings of sharp bitterness, greed, and disgusting traces of sadism. But in this woman...though she had looked so warm, with an inviting smile, Raven had felt…nothing. Absolutely nothing from her. Just…emptiness. And it chilled her to the bone.

TT

The five teens stood in the lobby, waiting for the woman, who had disappeared behind the front desk. They looked around, steps echoing across the marble tiled floor. It shone brilliantly, reflecting the lights of the elegant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Beautiful mahogany furniture filled the room, with a lovely, smooth finish. The chairs and sofas were lush, velvety soft. It looked completely different from what they had seen outside…expensive and chic, compared to rustic and quaint. It was like they were in a whole different place.

Cyborg whistled softly. "Wow…this is-"

"Amazing," Beast Boy finished for him. "I could _totally_ imagine living here."

"I am still surprised at our good fortune," Starfire said, hands clasped. "It is, 'too good to be true', yes?"

"As glad as I am that we've found a place to stay," Robin started. "Something still feels…"

"Off?" Raven offered.

He nodded. "It's just, finding a hotel like this, in the middle of nowhere…what are the odds?"

"Dude, lighten up," Beast Boy spread his arms wide. "I mean, look at this! You should just be happy that we're here, safe and sound."

Their leader frowned, but before he could say anything more, their hostess returned. In her hand were five golden keys, heavy and old-fashioned. She smiled, placing a hand on the changeling's shoulder. "Your friend is right," she spoke. "Do not fret. I can assure you, you are all in good hands." She gently stroked Beast Boy's shoulder. Looking up at her, she smiled, and he melted like goo.

"I was able to find five individual rooms for you. Unfortunately, they are on separate floors, but I hope this won't be a problem…?

Beast Boy shook his head vigorously. "Oh no, no, it's totally _fine,_ right guys?" The others slowly nodded.

"Thank you," Starfire bowed. "We are very grateful…um...?"

"Beatrice," The woman answered. "My name is Beatrice."

"Thank you, Beatrice." She bowed her head toward Starfire.

"If you are ready, I will show you to your rooms. And," She added, as Robin raised a finger. "I can answer any questions you have as we go." She looked to him. He nodded stiffly, and she turned, heading down a hallway to their right, the others following. Raven hung at the back, wanting to be as far away from her as possible.

Robin waited, but the woman said nothing, so he spoke. "So…what exactly is this place? And, how did it end up…_here?_"

"It is what you see before you," Beatrice answered. "Simply, a hotel for weary travelers like yourselves, open to anyone who seeks it. And for this reason, what better place to have it but here?"

"That's true," Robin mused. "But still…how is it possible to run a hotel like this in such an…isolated location?"

"The hotel Owner has his ways. It is…one of his many secrets." It was a sign to leave it at that, so he didn't push further.

"And how can we pay you? I don't know if we have that kind of cash, heh," Cyborg rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"As I've told you before, that is something you needn't worry over yet. That can come later. The Owner is a very…patient man." She stopped at an oak door, numbered twelve in fancy golden font. "This can be your room," She handed Cyborg a key.

"Thanks." He took it, inserting it into the keyhole. Slowly turning the key, the lock clicked. Hand on the door, he hesitated. Turning to the woman, he said, "Actually, I think I might need a room where I can charge each night…do you think-?"

"I'm certain you'll find everything you need in your room. The Owner tries to make the Hotel California as hospitable as possible." She held a hand out, motioning him in. Puzzled, he pushed the door open. His eyes widened.

"What the…how-?" He took a step back.

"What is it, Cy?" Beast Boy leapt onto his shoulder as a monkey, peering into the room. His eyes bulged out of his head as his jaw dropped.

"_Dude!_ It's-it's…"

The other three leaned in to get a closer look, and gasped. It looked, inch by inch, exactly like Cyborg's own room in the Tower. Steel walls, metal floors, his huge computer on one wall, charging station by the other, flat bed on the side. They stared in disbelief, walking in and looking around. Cyborg bent over, inspecting everything.

"It's…I can't find any difference." He straightened, shaking his head. "But how were you able to-?"

"He has his ways," Beatrice repeated. "There are only sixty rooms here, so it is not a big hotel, but as I said, the Owner is very hospitable. He wants every single guest to feel as if they are, truly, at home, and furnishes each room as such." Not completely satisfied with her answer, he began to say something more, but she turned away, towards the other four.

"If the rest of you will follow me, I will show you to your rooms as well." They looked at Cyborg, who could only shrug. They exited the room, but before Beatrice shut the door, she gave him a warm smile. "Please, make yourself at home. And if there's anything you need, anything at all…feel free to approach any of our workers, or simply call room service. They'll be happy to help you." She motioned towards the maroon phone on a side table near his bed.

He looked at it, head tilted to the side. He didn't remember seeing it the first time he looked over the room. 'Maybe I just…missed it, or something.' He nodded, and she shut the door quietly.

Cyborg stood in the middle of the room for a while…then sat on his bed, staring at the phone.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Titans followed their hostess, who proceeded further down the hall until they reached another arch. It led to a charming stone courtyard, flowers everywhere, plants creeping down pillars, surrounding them in green. A large fountain was at the center, three cherub statues beautifully carved in the middle, arranged so one was higher than the other. The one at the top held a bow and arrow, water shooting out at the arrow's tip and arching down, gracefully falling back to the bottom of the fountain. Starfire floated here and there in awe, marveling at its beauty. Even Raven had to admit that she thought the courtyard was beautiful, and very peaceful…a perfect place for her to mediate. But Beatrice beckoned for the alien princess to follow them, reassuring her that she could return there whenever she wanted to later on.

They crossed the open space, steps clacking on the cobblestone ground, as they passed under another arch and entered another hallway. They walked a bit further until they reached a flight of steps, leading to the second floor. Here, Beatrice brought them to Robin's room and, further down the hall, to Starfire's. Theirs, too, had an uncanny similarity to their own rooms. They climbed another flight of stairs to the third floor, where they came to Beast Boy's room. Mess and all, there was no mistaking it as the changeling's den.

"Look, Rae!" He held up their legendary stankball. "They even had this in here! Right where I left it!" She crinkled her nose in disgust as the horrendous stench reached her. Beatrice just smiled once more as they stepped out.

"I hope everything is to your liking?"

"Yeah, it's…it's perfect!"

She nodded, closing the door. 'And then, there was one…' Raven thought as the woman turned to her, smile still on her face. "Shall we?"

Raven nodded, following her to the very end of the hall. Room fifty-nine. She looked around, but saw no other passage leading anywhere else. "You said there were sixty rooms here, right?"

The hostess nodded. "So where is…?"

"Room sixty belongs to the Owner. It is the only room on the fourth floor…but he keeps it locked at all times. He values his privacy." She took out the last key, holding it out to her.

Raven looked at it, swallowing nervously, before slowly reaching out to take it. As her hand touched the key, she noticed something odd. Looking closely, she barely saw a wisp of her dark energy flow from her palm into the key. Choosing to say nothing about it, she unlocked the door. Lo and behold, there was her room, dark and foreboding. Every artifact was in its right place, every book right where she had left it.

"Satisfied?" She turned around to where Beatrice stood in the doorway, waiting. She nodded.

"Good. As I've told the others, if you need anything, the staff is just a call away." She bowed her head before shutting the door.

She lowered her hood, looking around suspiciously. Not for one second had she let her guard down. She sat on the edge of her bed, remembering what had happened with the key. She glanced down at the object in her hand, turning it over and over, but found nothing out of the ordinary. It had been the lightest strand, so thin that now she began to wonder if she had even seen it all. Too many questions were running through her head. And with everything that had happened, her emotions were threatening to take control of her.

Standing, she went to her black vanity, picking up her mirror, her portal to Nevermore, to her mind. But before she could leave, she heard the beeping of her communicator at her hip. Sighing, she put the mirror back down, flipping the yellow and black device open. Robin's face flashed onto the screen.

"Titans," his voice was serious. "We need to meet up and discuss what's going on."

"Yeah, man," Cyborg's voice sounded. "Something doesn't feel right about this place."

"I, too, am beginning to feel anxious." Starfire's normally cheery voice sounded worried.

"I love how awesome it was that we could have our own rooms…but I gotta admit, it is kind of…creepy," Beast Boy admitted.

"Where do you want to meet?" Raven asked, putting her key in a pocket within her cloak.

"I don't want to take any chances of someone overhearing us...just meet up in my room," Robin decided.

"Number…?" Beast Boy asked.

"Twenty-six. Just knock three times and I'll let you in." He cut off the transmission.

Raven shut her communicator. If the others felt something was strange about this place, too, then maybe she should tell them everything that had happened earlier. She debated as she left the room, locking it behind her.

TT

'Twenty…Twenty-one…' She counted the doors until she finally came to Robin's. Rapping her knuckles three times on the wood, she waited a moment until the door cracked open. Seeing it was her, their leader opened it all the way, stepping aside to let her in. The others were already there. Beast Boy was sprawled on the floor beside the bed, Starfire looking at Robin's multiple costumes lined up in his closet, Cyborg standing with arms crossed in the corner. Raven sat on the bed next to Beast Boy as Robin looked out in the hallway. Being sure no one had followed her, he closed the door.

"We need to think of what we're going to do," Robin addressed them.

"Well, we can't leave now," Beast Boy stretched his legs out in front of him. "It's way too late, and we've got nowhere else to go."

"Grass stain's right," Cyborg said. The green boy stuck out his tongue at the nickname. "Got no choice but to stay here, at least for the night. And probably until we can figure out exactly where we are and how we're gonna get home."

"Do you think we will be able to find someone here to help us return home?" Starfire asked.

"I don't know," Robin ran his fingers along his desk, thinking. "…Did you guys think it was a little weird that no one else was around?"

Raven nodded her head. "It was…a little too quiet."

"Everyone's probably asleep by now." Beast Boy yawned, his hand drifting to his side. All of a sudden he yelped, cradling his hand. "Jeez Robin, watch where you put these things," he complained, kicking the birdarang that had poked him across the floor to their leader.

"Sorry, Beast Boy," He apologized, picking it up and putting it away.

Cyborg frowned. "You know, I still can't get over how they were able to do this with our rooms…I mean, they don't even know us, so how could they have…?"

"Perhaps it is some form of optical illusion?" Starfire suggested. "To have us feel, 'at home'?"

"Even if it was…there's no way they could have created it so fast," Cyborg reasoned. "And to make it so…exact. With random stuff in the exact same places where we last left it. I have no idea how it's possible…"

"It has something to do with this 'Owner' person Beatrice kept talking about," Robin mused. "He's the one pulling the strings here. If we can find out something about him, then maybe we can figure out what's going on here."

"Beatrice told me his room is number sixty," Raven started. "And that it's the only one on the fourth floor. But he keeps it locked twenty-four seven, so we'll have to find a way to get in."

The boy wonder nodded. "We'll have to investigate tomorrow, see what we can find about the Owner and this place."

The others nodded, Beast Boy holding a thumbs up in the air. "You got it, dude…" He mumbled, lying on the floor, falling asleep. His head began to tilt, falling on Raven's legs.

She rolled her eyes, telepathically dropping one of Robin's books on his head. "Oww!" He shouted, the others shushing him. He rubbed his head, glaring at the sorceress.

"We'll continue tomorrow," Robin said. "I'm not sure why, but I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right here…"

"You're not the only one," Cyborg said. Starfire nodded in agreement.

Raven bit her lip, contemplating…but before she could speak up, the sound of Beast Boy's snoring grew louder, as he had fallen asleep again, this time curled up on the floor. Starfire giggled as Cyborg sighed, picking him up off the floor.

"We'll see you in the morning," He carried the green boy out, Starfire holding the door open. Raven hesitated, before stepping out, following the others.

She trudged up the steps behind Cyborg, mentally slapping herself in the face. 'Why didn't you say anything?' she asked herself, irritated. But, truthfully, she knew that nothing of what she had to say would be of any use to them. They were all just feelings and hunches. Knowing that she felt nothing from their hostess and had _thought_ she saw something flow into her key didn't make anything about this clearer. She sighed, tiredly running a hand through her hair. She really needed to visit her mind and talk to her other emotions about this…maybe they could help her figure things out.

After saying goodnight to Cyborg, she headed to her room, unlocking the door. Once inside, she went straight to her vanity. But she only took two steps before stopping in her tracks. Her mirror was gone.

**And that's chapter two! Yeah, not as exciting as the first chapter…maybe I should plug in more fight scenes (haha). Not really happy with this one…the end felt kinda rushed But I didn't want to drag it out too much, so I just cut it there. Hopefully, the next chapter will be more interesting :) **

**So, what did you guys think? Please review! I need more feedback to know how I'm doing to be able to continue with the story! I really want to improve, and can only do so with your guys' comments, good or bad!**


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